Harley's Help
by writingchick
Summary: When batman takes Harley Quinn out of Arkham to find the Joker no one thinks it is a good idea. However, while Harley Quinn becomes harder and harder to handle Batman begins to see in her a completely different light. Though their worlds are completely different could Batman and Harley ever be in love? In progress! P.S. I own nothing!
1. Take me with you!

Gotham City.

The joker had disappeared from the prison taking with him his henchmen. While commissioners send men to hound the city one doctor realizes that Miss Harley Quinn has been visiting the outside of his cell often, not unusual for the obsessed lover. But it did emphasize the question, why did her not take Harley Quinn.

In her cell she lay on her stomach on the bed her hair in ponytails and chewing strawberry gum. Only a couple of times an hour would her blue big eyes look up to the clock and then to the carvings on the prison wall. 134, the days she had been in that cell.

Suddenly a burst like no other came from her door and she looked around seeing batman watching her intently with both curiosity and fury in his eyes.

"Miss Quinn," he said formally though to Harley this seemed a little strange considering he had thrown her in this cell personally.

"B-man," she replied looking back to clock.

"I have a proposal for you Quinn," Batman said after a moment of letting her be.

"Let me guess," she said bringing out the strong Brooklyn accent to the point where Batman had to listen more intently, "You want me to rat out mistah J just cause he left me here to rot."

"Quinn," batman says more firmly, "this is a one time offer, you come or you can rot in here. Your choice kid"

Batman turns to leave and opens the cell door before turning to Quinn again, "this little love of yours with the joker will cost you your life Quinn."

The door slams shut.

Harley looks back to the clock, "Oh puddin when you gonna get me out of this place?"

Batman turns up at the batcave just as Robin finishes his training.

"Bruce?" he questions, "I thought you were getting blondie out?"

Bruce turns to the computer and types in Harleys full name, the one she herself had long forgotten.

"She won't come, not until we can offer her something she can't refuse," Bruce muttered just loud enough for Robin to hear. He went to Bruce's side to peer on the computer screen. That's when upon the screen the picture of Dr Harley Quinzell came up. Like a picture that connected to a past they stood quite silent. Not unusual for batman however Robin took a step toward the screen.

"That's not Harley!" he said almost awe struck.

It couldn't be. The girl upon the screen was just that a girl. Blonde with a sun kissed glow, the same blue eyes that peered from the costume except these eyes were clear and sparkling not the frustrated dizzy eyes they saw today and last of all the blonde hair was not in two pony tails but flowing down her back, golden like. Robin took his hand to the screen and stroked the cheek of the girl, "she was beautiful once," he muttered to himself, "and smart," batman added firmly.

"How did that girl end up with the joker?"

Robin turned to Bruce who was looking at him with a caution in his eyes, "Robin that girl is gone, if we do work with Quinn she's a criminal and we have to remember that, costume or not she's not be trusted."

"But can't someone save her?"

"We only save people who want to be saved Robin, not the gymnasts who fall for the wrong guys."

The phone rings with the batman symbol gracing its handle. Batman picks it up answering alertly while Robin steps closer to the picture of Harley. Again he inspects her face as if he could see from the past the torment she would soon embrace with open arms.

"Get your motorbike, Robin, the head of Arkham asylum just called Harley wants to do a deal."

"That was fast thinking," Robin thought out loud.

"Lets just hope Miss Quinn has gotten her act together," Batman noted grimly.

"Is it just me or is this her asking for help?" Robin smirked slyly.

"Get on your motorbike, Robin," Batman said with a tone of defeat that he covered so gracefully with authority.

Batman walked once more through the halls at the Arkham Asylum watching the criminals he himself had put in there, Robin stayed behind him with a smug expression it seemed funny to him they were taking Harley out of this place instead of the other way around.

Batman swung open the door of Harley's cell and this time she was hanging up side down from a pole near the top, her gymnast movements reminding him and Robin of the last time they had nabbed her. Without her costume however her blonde hair stood up and the grey police uniform hung around her body, unlike her costume, which would hug her skinny waist.

"Come down Quinn," Batman ordered as him and robin stood in front of the locked door.

"Of course B-man," she said with her usual light tone, with a flip she landed gracefully on the cell's steel floor. Batman jerked forward toward her and she brought her hands in front of her face, but batman just leaned further toward her wiping her grin away.

"It's your last chance Quinn, you can help us or this door will never open again!" he threatened.

"Aw B-man you just need to lighten up," she stroked her strong shoulder but he leaned further toward her.

"Alright, Alright I'll help but you gotta make sure no one else knows, if anyone found out I was helping you well I'd be powder!"

"No one will know Quinn," he agreed darkly putting his hand out for her to shake.

She looked at it with apprehension but finally took it, "Alright B-man you got a deal!" She tried to take her hand away after the shake but looking down his hand was still firmly holding hers. Robin looked away to the sides of the cells examining the scratches Harley had made as a calendar.

Batman held Harley's hand firm and pulled her towards him, "you'll keep your word Harley, for your sake."

"Yes sir," Harley squealed until finally he let her hand go in replacement with handcuffs.

"Hey!" she shouted backing away, but batman left leaving Robin to escort her to the car.

Robin practically put Harley into the bat mobile before getting back on his motorbike and riding off without a word.

"Quiet bird boy, hey B-man," Harley said watching the motorbike fly from the area, "though that bike is something swell."

"Don't even think about it Quinn," Batman said stringently.

"Aw bats you take the fun out of everything!" Harley exclaimed sliding down further in the seat to put her feet up.

She looked down at the grey prison suit, "hey bats do ya think I could get something else to wear, you don't want me running around the streets looking like a convicted criminal now do ya?"

He ignored this and popped on the screen of the car, "What the trouble commissioner?" he asked.

"Joker is still missing and what's worse is he has done a whole run in with the bank, not a penny left. The whole city's savings were in that place, batman!"

"I'm on it!" Batman said affirmatively.

"ALL THAT DOE AND HE WOULDN'T SPRING ME I'M A KILL THAT PAINTED FACED CLOWN!" Harley screamed thrashing her hands around and around.

"Hey!" Batman shouted over Harley's creams, "you act crazy I send you back! This is your chance to get back at the Joker not hung up on him!"

"I aint hung up on mistah J honest b-man!" Harley exclaimed.

"Where is he then, you must know?"

Harley looked out the window to the racing towers of Gotham the night their only blanket to the day's runnings.

"I can take you to the old hideout?" Harley said cautiously.

Batman nodded, "where?"

"Two streets down, next to the old Halloween club," Harley said sounding quite defeated.

"Did you hear that Robin?" Batman asked to the screen where he appeared suddenly.

"Yeah I heard blondie, you trust her?" Robin asked taking no notice of Harley in the far right of the screen.

"HEY!" Harley shouted. A

"For now," batman said truthfully. Robin nodded and the screen turned black again.

"Well aint he just boy wonder!" Harley said sarcastically, "you ever thought of having a girl sidekick?" Harley joked stroking his shoulder again. Batman stiffened away.

"Like you and the joker? Are you his sidekick or his punching bag?"

"Mistah J loves me he just doesn't know how to show it b-man!"


	2. Harley's revealing nature!

Batman looked around at the empty Halloween store. They had searched the place up and down and not one clue that Joker had been there appeared. But what was more worrying was that Harley seemed to be happier that he wasn't there, compared to how worried her face was when she crept into the room.

"A word, Miss Quinn," Batman said pulling her to the side, away from Robin.

"Oy, bats, me and the mini bird were having a conversation!" she chirped annoyed at Batman's rudeness.

"Quinn, protecting the Joker is not going to help you here. If I feel like you are going to double cross me I will send you back to Arkham and get someone else," he said firmly his hand still gripping her arm.

"Hey, I'm insulted," Harley Quinn said pouting out her lip, "I aint gonna double cross you Bman! I wanna find my puddin' just as much as you do! AND SEE WHY HE NEVER BAILED ME OUT OF THAT JOINT!" Harley yelled.

Batman raised an eyebrow doubting her sincerity but he let her go.

"Hey Quinn," Robin called over, "Is this yours?"

Robin held up what looked like a small red elastic dress, one that was only meant for use after the lights went out.

"Why you little bird brain!" Harley began to scream scrambling to jump on Robin, she would have succeed too, but Batman grabbed her by the arms and held her back.

"Robin," Batman yelled forcing him to drop the dress before letting an infuriated Harley go.

"Alright, alright," Robin muttered, "but there are clothes in the wardrobe over there. They look like their blondie's maybe she can put something on so everyone doesn't think we're ganging up with a criminal, though everyone is going to recognise her face now!" Robin said a little smugly opening the wardrobe door to show the clothes which Harley had left on the last hideout, before being snatched by Batman.

"Aw yes!" Harley squealed while jumping up and down like a child who just got handed a present.

"Hold on Quinn," Batman warned causing her face to drop as fast as the excitement had started, "No masks, just normal clothes, nothing to link you with the Joker, understand?"

"Aw BMAN!" Harley sulked thinking about her comfy and liberating costume that was just steps away, "fine," she muttered reluctantly.

She did a cart-wheel to the wardrobe and quickly grabbed an outfit before disappearing behind the door to change.

"That blondie's more nuts than I thought," Robin muttered as he watched her flee quickly.

"Yeah well she better be the ticket that leads us to the Joker, she maybe this cities only hope," Batman said looking around the Halloween house.

"So this is where her and the Joker lived?" Robin said looking around more closely at the boxes of toys, the couches that looked ripped to shreds and the table that was covered in scratches and paint splashes.

Batman looked this time, really looked around. Could he believe that that little enthusiastic woman spent almost a year cramped into this place with an abusive psychotic maniac.

But before he could answer Harley came flipping out of the door.

"I'm ready," she sang and landed in front of the table.

Robin's jaw almost dropped, the crazy criminal that he had denounced many times as insane stood before him in tight denim shorts that showed off her lean, long legs and a shirt that portrayed half of her flat stomach. Just with different clothes she looked so similar to the girl he had seen on the computer screen that his eyes suddenly became glued to her.

Batman rolled his eyes at Robin's response, of course the hormone mad 22-year-old would put Harley's looks before the sanity, he thought.

"Quinn it is freezing outside," Batman said worriedly side glancing at Robin, "Do you have anything warmer to wear."

"Don't worry Bman, I got a sweatshirt," she said taking it out of the cupboard and covering up her top half.

"Now," Batman said trying to change the subject, "where else would he be Harley?"

"Hey I dunno bats," she said shrugging her shoulder, "ooh!" she suddenly yelped, "if I know my puddin' and he just robbed a bank he'd be celebrating at the mobs own fancy restaurant."

"Where is this restaurant?" Batman demanded.

"Uptown," she said and Batman whisked forward, "common Quinn!"

"Wait I can't go!" she exclaimed jumping back defensively, "If they recognise me I'm dead, we had a deal!"

"They won't recognise you Quinn," Batman said firmly, "I'll make sure of it."


	3. The worth of the injured

Harley Quinn walked up to the entrance of the restaurant, and while no one knew it was her, the long lines of people waiting for a table were told to part and let the woman through. Batman had kept his word, not one person would recognise Miss Quinn for he had given her the one thing that no one expected of the clown _girl._ He had given her grace.

Harley Quinn walked into the Penguin Restaurant and everyone looked up. Yet, all she could see was the table she was being escorted too, her eyes locked heavily on it as she tried not to stumble forward in her killer heels or miss the waiter's directions as her heartbeat blocked out most sound. She was wearing a long silk, lean dress that finished just before her ankles and shaped the curve of her body instead of revealing it. Sunglasses hid her eyes and her hair was curled up to her ears in ringlets. At that moment she was brutally aware that she could be anyone, a model, an actress or better yet just another girl having a night out. But the _girl_ that was Harley Quinn was hidden.

"I look stupid!" Harley whined into the bat-transmitter that was stuck behind her ear. She couldn't help but notice the people staring at her, like they knew who she was, wide eyes filled with knowing.

"You look fine, Quinn," Batman scowled into it. He had no time for her nonsense, not now anyway. As much as he believed in her 'rehabilitation' fact was fact, she was as crooked as a bendy straw and no attractive looks or sob story was going to change anything.

He looked to Robin as they stood on the flat edged roof of the restaurant surrounded by the darkness of night. Ready to nab the Joker and also ready to capture the escaping Harley Quinn. Though, neither Robin nor Batman held much trust in the ditzy clown girl, with or without her new dress, Robin was especially against trusting Quinn. For hadn't he been the one to take her in usually, with Batman busy with the Joker, it normally remained his duty n and now his trust in her had been shattered beyond repair.

"What if she comes out of the back, we will miss her completely," Robin exclaimed once more. He peered through the night and back into the alleyway which he reminded himself was more Harley's domain that the fancy restaurant.

"She's not going anywhere in that dress," Batman said firmly yet he didn't stop Robin from looking.

"How do you know?" he asked him coming over to Batman who was watching the people lined up miles below him on the street. Eyeing each blonde until their face became Harley Quinn in his blurred vision.

"Because that dress and that look, it has given her something she wants more than anything else." he looked back to Robin who gave him a look of curiosity, "it has given her a chance to see what her life could have been like and more it has given her respect. Do you see these people down there, they parted because they assumed she was important, that dress doesn't reveal her body. No, she wears revealing clothes because only then could she get good attention from the Joker," he eyed Robin carefully, "or from you."

"BATS" Harley squealed from the transmitter advice, "He's here!"

The Joker, painted face and all entered with two girls on each skinny arm. He was wearing what Harley assumed was the ugliest green suit, which reminded her of the disgusting colour of money. A pink scarf, almost a fashionable one, hung in a knot on his chest making sure that the suit did not reveal the true colour of his chest skin, Quinn knew, there was no white under their it was human pink, though the insides of him were black.

She drifted her eyes back to the table as the waiter approached with a smile that made her blush down to the empty chair next to her.

"Miss, what would you like to drink!" the waiter asked, giving a slight rigid bow as he said it. At that moment Harley licked her lips, a drink, well she hadn't had one in months, "A vodka on the rocks, and keep it coming toots!" she said excitedly yet letting her dark Boston accent escape from the red, painted lips.

"Oop," she chirped, "I mean A vodka on the rocks, please," she said once more this time with an elegant voice. Once the waiter left she slumped down in the chair, "it is hard work pretending to be someone else," she whispered to herself.

Then, just as she perked herself up she heard the roars of laughter from Joker. Laughter that she was normally involved in. She let her eyes slide back to his table. The two girls were bug-eyed and staring at his eyes as he said every joke at which they would roar with laughter. Only, when the Joker would bring out his rolls of money to chuck at the scuttling waiters would the girls pretend to feel his 'muscular arms' or give him a simultaneous kiss on the cheek.

One time, he chucked a whole bundle of money at the waiter who bought him the right champagne and the brunette girl with the fake pink cheeks jumped on his lap and started kissing his lips with passion and devotion while reaching under his jacket as if to feel the money beneath the seams.

Harley's eyes blazed with anger which erupted around her body in one mutual shiver, the volcano had blown.

"Quick" Batman ordered as he jumped down the many stories and landed before the golden entrance softly on his feet yet people in the line ran at the view of Batman, his dark and callous eyes filling their vision and their screams filling the outside air. If it was one thing that each one of them knew, along with Batman, was that this restaurant was for crooks. If you were in the line, well then, your corrupt and if you're not already, you will be...

When the street had emptied successfully Batman strode in to the astonishment and absolute horror of the small five foot two doorman who just shook but remained frozen to his place.

However, when they did enter the restaurant, along with more people rushing under desks and running through the kitchen exit, they saw Harley Quinn in front of the Joker's desk, eyes wide with fury and in her hands she was waving the steak knife she had no doubt swiped from someone's table.

"WHO IS THIS WOMAN AND WHY IS SHE YELLING A KNIFE AT ME," the Joker yelled angrily.

But when, they did enter the restaurant Harley Quinn was standing right in front of the Joker, her hands on her swinging hips and her eyes blaring with anger.

"Quinn, step back!" Batman ordered as he came in. The rest of the restaurant had emptied in a matter of seconds except for the Joker's goons of course who swore they would die before leaving.

"Quinn?" the Joker looked more closely at the beautiful woman before him, narrowing his eyes until he licked his lips in triumph, "Harley! You got our of Arkham, you clever vixen!"

"YOU CHEATER!" she screamed back at him and his looked of happiness eroded into a look of anger so quickly that Harley stopped yelling and the knife became as useless as feet.

"How dare you accuse me of cheating!" he yelled.

"Leave her along Joker!" Batman yelled striding forward carefully as not to infuriate him while the petite Harley was so vulnerable in his clutches.

"But I... I" Harley stammered like a child backing away from the fuming Joker.

"How dare you speak to me like that!" he screamed at her and his hand flashed across her face so viciously that the sound resembled a twig snapping.

Harley fell back clutching her swelling, reddening cheek. Then almost in the same instant the Joker clutched her head and threw it back onto the hard floor before delivering a venomous kick to her stomach, for good measure.

"Sorry Batman, but the kid never learns," the Joker said happily switching his gaze to the masked vigilante in front of him.

Batman's lips curled in disgust at the sociopath. The whimper's of Harley drifted slowly into a deep unconscious as Robin stood in front of her, blocking the Joker's view of his chess piece.

"Where's the town's money Joker!" Batman ordered. The Joker however stretched out his arms above his head in some triumphant pose.

"Safe," he chuckled cheerily.

Batman moved forward to grab him, however, just as his hand was about to take his arm, the Joker wagged his finger.

"You don't want to do that batsy," he said with an air of agreement.

The restaurant started filling with his followers, henchman after henchman. Batman rammed forward to take the clown but men threw themselves in front of him and before he knew it Batman was pelting his way through the tens of men to get to the laughing Joker.

"Well batsy, don't have too much of a blast!" the Joker yelled as he pulled from his chest a gleaming black bomb.

"Common boys!" he yelled and the henchmen ran for the door, taking with them their leader out of Batman's grips.

"Everyone out!" he ordered as the bomb ticked away, the people left sprinted out of the building and Batman scooped Harley Quinn into his hard muscular arms and fled with Robin to the street.

**A day later**

Harley Quinn shifted comfortable in gleaming white sheets. Her head which pounded, lay comfortable on a pillow that she could sink into. She brought her hand up, out of the warm covers to feel the pillow that would have made her stay there for ever.

Her eyes snapped open.

Where an earth was she? No rude awakening by the Joker, no prodding by a police guard of bars in front of her? Slowly her memory came back as she remembered running into the Joker and how he had punished her defiance. Her hand went to her head to feel the blood that should have been there but instead there was a bandage.

With great pain and even greater will she gritted her teeth and slowly sat up onto the beautiful bed. Peering around the room she was awed by the perfectness of it. A square room that held the double bed she was sleeping in, right in the centre. The carpets were beige and the furniture look a million bucks each. Hand sewn leather chairs and patterned curtains that hung in front of french graceful windows.

Oh no, she thought suddenly. Horror seized her body as she realised the Joker must have stuck her in some fancy hotel. He had been flaunting a whole load of money, she thought again. But, Harley knew very well, even when he had buckets of it, the Joker hated spending money and her body was normally the first thing to take the anger it instilled onto him.

The door began to creek open and Harley, with habit she had developed over years, swung her arms in front of her newly bandaged her and shivered for the Joker was bound to be furious.

"Miss Quinn?" a firm, yet gentle voice sounded.

Harley opened her scared shut eyes and sighed in relief.

"Bats? Where is the Joker?"

Batman grimaced as he realised the reason she must have cowered was for the clown which had delivered her single-handedly to a point of intense care.

He approached her and with soft hands took her arms and placed her lying back down on the bed, "Don't move too much Quinn," he warned, "you suffered quite an injury." He ignored the question of the Joker, for now at least his name should not be mentioned in her presence.

"Where am I?" she demanded angrily, pushing away his caring hands as if they were venemous.

"You are in a safe place, Quinn."

What Quinn didn't actually know was that while she remained unconscious Batman had taken her to his mansion. Of course he could not allow her to possible see the batcave, or let her anywhere near anything that revealed his real identity. So, he put her in one of his many bedrooms in the top floor. He had locked the windows and replaced them with unbreakable glass while Alfred and his many maids had tended to her cuts and bruises until all that was left was the time it would take to heal.

"Where is the Joker! LET ME SEE HIM YOUR BRUTE!" she yelled while he head pounded more viciously.

"I would have expected a thank you, for saving your life," Batman said with a dark and crippling voice.

Harley's wide blue eyes looked down to her body and while feeling the sores she suddenly felt an urge to see what he was talking about. She, with her last bit of might, grabbed the blanket that covered her and swished it off her body, not caring if Batman saw anything he wasn't meant to. But, she was covered in what looked like expensive PJs. She took the end of her t-shirt and unbuttoned it from the end upward until the ugly blue and yellow bruises revealed themselves as they fanged into her skin, hungry to spread over her pale complexion.

Batman stayed very still while she did this. Watching the horror in her face as she revealed her once muscular stomach to the broken pieces it now was.

"He left you in there with a bomb Quinn, if I hadn't gotten you out before it went off you would have been dead," he stated as a matter of fact kind of way.

"But, but he loves me..." she spoke softly to herself rocking herself with her arms.

Batman tried to put a soothing hand on her shoulder but with sudden rage she turned and slapped it away only to groan in pain and clutch her sides afterwards.

Once again Batman took her shoulders and pressed her lightly down onto the bed, "Get your rest, Miss Quinn." And with that he left the room and locked the door behind. How, was she going to help catch the Joker now, and without her ability to get out of bed Batman was deciding whether he should deliver her back to Arkham. However, Bruce knew that until she could at least defend herself in that place she wasn't leaving the house.

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I hope you like this chapter, sorry it took so long to write I have been travelling eep. So, have fun reading 3 and please please review!


	4. My rules

Bruce Wayne and Alfred were in the kitchen, enjoying their morning that had been uninterrupted so far by bat duty or work duty. Alfred had just handed Bruce his morning coffee and the Gotham newspaper, which sat gleaming next to it, like a vice that had been neglected too long.

Just as Bruce brought the cup to his lips ready to enjoy the, for once, peaceful morning a crash sounded from upstairs. DAM, he thought running, without a word to Alfred, down to the batcave to change.

Within seconds he burst into Harley's room, ready to scold her, for whatever insane prank he was sure she had pulled. He knew he should have taken all the dangerous objects out of the room, like he would have done with a small child.

"What are you doing?" he demanded letting the sharpness in his voice make her recoil.

Harley was sitting on the bed, her arms crossed and her face stone cold and brooding. The lamp that used to sit next to her was smashed to pieces on the floor next to the door. Only when he saw it did Batman close the door behind him to reveal the scratches and chips Harley had made on the wooden, once beautifully built, door.

"I WANT OUT!" she screamed, so loudly that Bruce wanted to step back but Batman took over and took one threatening step forward.

"Quinn," he threatened. But, she didn't stop, she sent the other lamp flying towards his head, which he caught easily in his quick grasp. He couldn't believe it he had saved the girl for heavens sake and she was trying to kill him, though after thinking about it, that seemed to happen a lot with this kid.

"You can't keep me here, bats, I know my rights!" she yelled violently thrashing her arms around.

Lord it was hard to think of her well being while she was being so difficult, Batman thought sullenly.

"Rights?" Batman scolded, "you chose to come with me Quinn, remember, help me catch the Joker and you earn our freedom, you are not free yet!"

"Hey I got you close to Joker, it's not my problem you couldn't catch him!" she yelled back at the condescending vigilante before her, "AND ITS HARLEY!"

"Harley," Batman said a little more softly, "Now I am sure you don't want me to send you back to Arkham because you can't help me find the Joker, do you?"

Though her eyes narrowed at Batman she gulped down her fear and remained silent. She didn't want to go back, not one bit!

When she didn't answer he took one step forward, "Now, you can still help me though, you won't be getting out of this bed for a while due to the injuries. But, Harley you have a chance to put the man who has done this to you in jail!"

"I love him and he loves me!" she said forcefully, in response.

"I'll have someone from Arkham come pick you up," Batman said gently, letting his eyes drape over Quinn, her blue stunning eyes locked on him as if he was a time bomb.

"WAIT" she yelled just as he turned to head for the door. Her blue eyes fished the room and he could see the amount of bolts and gadgets coming alive inside her head as she decided on her fate.

"I don't have time for this, Harley,"

"No, please!" she cried quite defeated, "I'll help you!"

Batman stopped heading for the door and for moment their was silence as he weighed up Harley with half cylinder eyes, "Then you will agree to my rules," he said while riddled with doubt.

"What rules?" Harley interjected crossing her arms defensively again.

Batman smiled, "You will not leave this room, Harley, you will accept that that door is to be locked and if you do leave this room it will only be under the supervision of me. Secondly, you will not break anything in this room" he said gesturing to the smashed pieces of lamp, "You will accept any medical treatment that I or anyone in this house will give you, you will eat everything, and I mean everything that I give you and lastly, you will do everything I say when I say it."

Harley remained quiet, "everything," she finally whispered.

"Everything, Harley," Batman repeated.

Harley tilted her head to the side as if thinking about something intently and then held out her hand, "If I do this you'll drop the charges against me right, I'll walk free!"

"Yes, Quinn."

He took her hand and then looked at the smashed pieces, "I'll have a maid clean that up," he said firmly, "behave yourself Harley,"

Then he left her to her isolation like before. She looked around the lonely room wondering if she should have chosen Arkham, then at least, she would be with the Joker for some parts of the day, she could even listen to him yell or insult her through the cell floors.

Batman headed back downstairs, heading into a spare room he switched back into Bruce Wayne and went back to the kitchen, where his morning had begun.

"Problems with Miss Quinn?" Alfred asked with a slight smile.

Bruce gave a half-hearted glare at him and took a gulp of the soothing coffee which ran cooly down his throat. Taking a sigh of relief he brought the newspaper toward him and peered down at the front page.

"The Clowns Go Bang" it rang with a picture of the explosion the Joker had caused on the front page. Bruce's eyes glared down to the passage.

"They have seemed to replace Arkham's locks with rotating doors as the Joker and Harley Quinn have both disappeared from Arkham Asylum in the last month. As a result the town has lost a fortune in the local Bank and eleven people have suffered grave injuries along with the loss of a legendary restaurant. Harley Quinn, however, was one of the injured persons due to the bomb. In fact Batman rushed in to save the Clown Princess who remained unconscious while the Joker escaped freely. The question on everybody's lips is, what is happening to the crime duo and did Harley Quinn survive?"

Bruce let out an involuntary growl at the paper, "Is their no such thing as a peaceful morning!"

"Ugh Master Wayne?" Alfred said a little nervously.

"What is it Alfred?" Bruce said while taking another shot of his coffee.

"Work called, you're needed."

Bruce let out a groan and brought his eyes up to Alfred, "Will you take care of Quinn today?"

"I will do my best Master Wayne, now if you don't hurry you will be late," he said checking the grand clock behind him.

"Good luck, Alfred!" Bruce said before disappearing out of the door, a bit more hurriedly than usual, Alfred thought.


	5. Strength

Here it is, sorry it took so long I have been so stressed lately :S! So, this chapter conveys a little more of Harley Quinn. I hope you like it! And please review 3!

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Alfred gripped the handle of the Harley Quinn's door. In some way he was nervous, he had definitely seen his own share of criminals and villains running around the streets of Gotham. Yet, never in Bruce Wayne's home. Batman and Bruce remained, to him, two very different people and so he stayed very still outside of Quinn's door. For she was now the bridge between Bruce and the Dark Night, the one who had forced him to let Batman above the ground floor and into his mansion.

"Miss Quinn?" he asked slowly, nervously as he finally opened the door. He didn't know what he was expecting, the body that he had worked on and bandaged had been limp and soulless yet the face was twisted in anger and mirrored the same twisted, demented face he had seen in the newspapers.

However, when he did set his eyes upon the Harley Quinn in the double bed he was surprised. Her face was not gentle, nor did it show any sign of a smile but her eyes did widen in slight fear and then flutter back into their blue calm gems when she saw Alfred, and not Batman.

"When did they let penguins in here?" she snapped lightly, that was the first think Alfred thought about Harley Quinn, everything she said was overridden with a joking tone.

"Miss Quinn, I am the butler of this establishment. How are you feeling?" he asked kindly as he remember so vividly the image of her beaten and burned by her Joker's bomb.

"Nah I am alrigh ole' man," she interjected, "though I could use a stick to walk with or something. Ya know so I can try and get out of this freakin bed!"

Alfred frowned, he himself had seen the damage to her legs, their was no way she would be able to walk on it without breaking it to the bone.

"I don't think that is a good idea, Miss Quinn. Though if you do want to get out of the bed, I possible could arrange a wheel chair, with Batman's permission, of course," he said very gentle.

Harley looked up and for the first time, the famous smile crossed her face, "Aw paps, you'd da that for me!"

Alfred sighed at the unexpected nickname but nodded, "of course Miss Quinn. Are you sure you aren't hungry, you haven't eaten for a day?"

Harley laughed, "Na pops, I'm fine!" she said a little too cheerfully for Alfred, but he was right. Harley barely had the ability to wave her hands around for more than a few seconds than to hold food and a fork to her lips.

Alfred left and Harley stayed still in the silk bed. Wondering how long until her body would catch up with the liveliness of her mind.

* * *

**Two days later.**

Harley turned, amazed at how her arms no longer felt like weight dragging her down on the bed but back to their productive selves, if only she could say the same for her legs which were still on the brink of breaking.

The door swung open and she used her regained strength to pull herself up to a sitting position masterly while Batman blocked the open doorway. His dark presence didn't make her recoil this time however, she had seen him enough time in the last few days to know that he wouldn't run at her and cuff her away. No, to her surprise, if she stayed quiet and didn't cause too much noise he was pretty gentle with her.

"I need your help Quinn," he said seriously, far more serious than she had seen him in the past few days.

She bit her lip, still unable to lead the bed, she could feel her sentence back to Arkham brewing like a spitting volcano. She didn't want to go back. Especially if it was alone again, she couldn't take it. No puddin in the rec room to laugh with her, or Ivy to talk to. No, if she was dragged back now she would be alone once more in the cell where all she could do was practice bar gymnastics with only a meter perimeter .

"I'll help Bman!" she chirped forcefully giving a little jump on the bed. "AH!" she squealed clutching her stomach as if it was breaking. Batman frowned at the image of her in pain, even though the bruises were fading the reminder of how brittle she was scared him.

Once her face had untwisted and she sank back into the bed comfortable Batman approached with a blindfold hidden in his fist.

"I want to take you down to the lair, so I am going to put a blind fold on you," he said with his dark tone overriding how gently he was speaking to her.

"Just wait right there Batty! How do I know your not going to take me back to Arkham?" she challenged holding up her hands to his fast approaching arms, as if they would snatch her away.

"Because I would have told you straight up if I was taking you back," Batman said simply and then without waiting for Harley's response he covered her eyes in the black blindfold and tied it carefully behind her head.

'Wait!' Harley's strong voice sounded as she scrambled her hands around the empty air in front of her until she felt Batman's hands soothe her own as he offered her the chance to see through his movement.

"Hold on tight, Quinn," she heard him say and then she felt his arms grasp around her body as he lifted her up softly into his grip.

"WOAH!" she cried throwing her arms around his muscular shoulders and holding on with everything she had, despite the fact that Batman was holding her so firmly she wouldn't fall out if she flailed or jumped around, which he had expected from her.

"Don't drop me Batty!" she screamed and though she would never knew a slight smile appeared on his expressionless face.

He carried her down to the Bat lair, using the blind fold to ensure that she would never, despite her close proximity, know who he really was.

Harley held on to his arms and tried not to let out a moan of pain and Batman softly placed her into a chair. She sighed with relief once light appeared to her eyes, streaming like grey beams onto her as the blindfold fell back into Batman's grasp.

"What's this place?" she said turning around and taking in the dark walls, the scientific computer and finally Robin's bike which left her jaw hanging open and her tounge rolling out.

"AW its so bootiful!" she exclaimed clapping her hands together.

"Once again," Batman said, "don't even think about it, instead he directed her attention towards the super computer in the right hand side of the cave, "This here Quinn is the fastest computer you will ever see and if you think the Joker is anywhere at anytime we can see right into the street cameras feed and check it out. It also has profiles on every criminal who has been in Arkham prison."

Harley's eyes widened, "Even me?" she asked although she already knew the answer.

Batman went over to the computer, typed in her name and once again her page came up, the picture of her before the Joker and after, the pages and pages of analysis by every psychiatrist she has ever had and the list of criminal activities she has been charged with. Batman watched her shocked reaction and her eyes narrow at the info before he went off the page, he didn't want her reading too much into her past now that it was time to look forward.

"Kinda stalkerish, Bman" she said crossing her arms in the chair and he rolled his eyes.

"So, Miss Quinn, do you think you can still help us?"

"Us?" she repeated.

Just as she said it Robin came through the door and smiled at Harley, "sup blondie."

"What's he doing here?" she demanded and Batman looked up to Robin, "he is keeping an eye on you while I have to see to business," he said loosely disguising hunting down the drug gangs on the pier as "business."

"NO WAY!" Harley screamed, "THAT BIRD BRAIN IS COMING NO WHERE NEAR ME!"

Barman rolled his eyes but overall he had a lot of trust in Robin and Harley, well the kid would survive. Especially, as Alfred was alway on call, day or night.

He walked to Robin, looking back to Harley who had crossed her arms and pursed her lips shut in strike, "make sure she doesn't hurt herself," he whispered to him and then left.

Robin peered to Harley Quinn who rolled her eyes at his attempt at eye contact.

"So blondie where do you want to start?" Robin asked, knowing that Batman would be expecting some progress to be done by the time he came back.

Harley thought for a moment and then smiled, "What has he done so far?"

Robin went over to the computer and typed in the Joker's name until the list of his last criminal activities came up.

"The bank robbery I knew about," Harley muttered, "bombed the restaurant, yeah that was swell puddin'" she muttered sourly, "a bomb in the concert hall?" Harley tilted her head to the right, thinking intently.

"Where was the bomb, bird brain?" she demanded.

Robin rolled his eyes, "in the guitar tuner, and my name is ROBIN!" he said. Ugh, being left with a crazy person just wasn't his cup of tea. What was worse was that she was making things harder on him! She was twenty-three just two years younger than him and with her child persona Batman was already treating him like a kid again, leaving him on this babysitting job instead of going out to fight the villains.

"He blew up the concert hall by a bomb in the guitar tuner?" Harley repeated, "A guitar tuner!" she said again.

She narrowed her eyes and then let them sink open, "nope, got nothing," she said sounding defeated. Robin sighed, he had expected more of a show, after all her and the Joker were expected to be insane, surely if sanity thought the same way insanity would at least be on the page with more insanity, but he guessed, even the Joker was insane to Harley Quinn.

She looked around in the chair and then suddenly looked down. Attached to the chair were two wheels. She hadn't even noticed, all this time, she had been sitting in a wheel chair! She owed that penguin guy a thanks! She pushed the chair forward and went closer to the computer, seeing the Joker's face open to her, as if stirring feelings of unbreakable love.

"Aw puddin' I am so sorry," she muttered before sobbing into her hands. Robin remained quite still. What was he meant to do? Batman was always better at handling the crazies, especially the girl crazy ones. That is why he left Catwoman, Ivy and Harley to him.

"He doesn't deserve your apology, you know," Robin said finally.

"What?" Harley snapped.

"He doesn't deserve it, not after trying to blow you up like that. I mean you could get a real nice guy, if you wanted and all." Robin tried not to look at her as he said it. Had he just admitted that she was attractive? He looked at her blonde hair, blue eyes and for once she was in normal clothes rather than that outfit or the prison suit, maybe because he could sometimes mistake her for a normal person he thought that some guy out there could too.

Harley wiped her eyes and looked back at Robin, "He didn't mean to blow me up, you just don't get it, he wants me to escape, killing me is just his joke, do you know what irony is? It means something unexpected, whats more unexpected than trying to blow up the person that is mean to be our half, the thing that makes you whole? But he never really does kill me! Just bangs me around, a little, that's the thing, even though it would be the perfect joke, the perfect ironic ending, he just can't do it, cause he loves me. Her blue eyes widened with visions of their marriage and children, fantasies apon fantasy that would lead her to depression.

"Doesn't seem like much of a love, to me," Robin said firmly.

"Yeah well what do you know, kid!" she said sticking her tounge out at him.

Kid? She though she was older than him, he couldn't blame her really. Though she did act like a kid at some points she did seem so much older, Robin could at least say he had never been blown up before. Or been in love.

Just as he had began thinking about what he was missing out on being Robin and all, Harley began to try and stand. Robin may have been void of any medical training but he did know that her leg was going to break if she walked on it, she had heard Bruce and alfred talk about that enough.

"NO!" he cried going to her, to try and set her back in the chair. But with incredible strength Harley Quinn did not walk on her leg but as she held the sides of the chair she pulled her legs up above her head, so she was doing a hand stand, in a perfect formation.

He marvelled at the beauty of her gymnastic moves, something he could say he had the liberty to see before. She was always this kind of red and black blur flipping around, followed by this laugh and a ditzy Brooklyn accent. Of course she still had the accent but the blonde girl was much more graceful, with the injuries, as every movement she made was careful and concise as she swapped her dominant hands on the handstand and then slowly set herself back down in the chair, flinching slightly as he legs hit the holds.

"How long?" she asked Robin who looked at her with a frown.

"How long what-"

"How long until my leg heals!" she demanded.

He looked to her, afraid to answer, "maybe months Quinn," he said truthfully.

She looked down at her feet, hidden behind her ballet slipper shoes, how they looked so broken, would she even have muscle in them after she had finished? And if not how was she going to take the Joker's tricks, jokes or beatings? She shuddered as suddenly a thought popped into her head that if they didn't catch him and find him soon before he did something to hurt himself, something he seemed prone to doing if it helped the joke, she wondered is she would even get to see him again. She closed her eyes, ignored the Bird Boy and listened to the pang of her heart, as it slowly slit into to pieces.


	6. Scold and they will rise

Hope you like this next chapter and please keep reviewing! 3 I welcome all opinions!

* * *

How long has she been doing that?" Batman asked, his voice full of curiosity and interest.

They had been standing for ten minutes, marvelling at the beauty and grace of Harley's gymnastic movements, amazingly, all from her wheel chair.

"For almost a week, it feels like," Robin said, though his voice was filled with impatience and bitterness, his eyes, as Batman's, remained wide as for the first time they both saw the grace and strength that was Harley Quinn.

She with one hand had managed to balance herself in a handstand, then while doing sort of a backbend bridge she managed to flip, so controlled, off the wheelchair her hands catching the floor as her legs were straddled out before her, feet pointed, a look of deep concentration and her eyes wide with determination.

"Where did she learn that stuff?" Robin asked, never taking his eyes of Harley.

"She went to Arkham on a gymnastic scholarship," he answered simply, "you don't forget years of training, even if you do lose your mind."

Robin put his head to the side as once again Harley Quinn was in a hand stand. Batman eyed him carefully, taking in the look of his eyes, how wide, how amazed, almost... yearning.

"Robin," he snapped quickly.

Robin looked at him as if snapped out of the gaze he had been in, "Isn't it time you went and trained yourself?" Batman asked, but they both knew it wasn't really a question.

With one last glance at Harley he reluctantly obeyed Batman, cursing under his breath, ever so softly that Batman would never hear.

"Quinn?" Batman asked gently, making sure not to break too suddenly her concentration.

"Yep Bats," she squealed, her voice filled with excitement, life and purpose. The first time he had heard it like that for a while.

"Training for something?" he asked suspiciously, though when she looked at him, his eyebrows raised and authoritative, it seemed like he was more of someone who didn't just want to control her but help her. Like a teacher or something, she guessed.

"Just to help you and Robin nab Mistah J, can't help you if I'm in this chair bats," she exclaimed coming down from the handstand so she was sitting on the floor. Looking more like a kid than ever before.

Batman sighed, "actually Quinn, I'd rather you be here. You can help much more if I'm not worrying about you double crossing me and you have the brains to work out where he is, I know you do!"

Harley frowned, "that's not fair, I wanna be out! I wanna be roaming the city, taking down Mistah J maself!" she screamed at Batman, yet the threatening tone was miniscule, while she was on the floor.

"Sorry Quinn but even if you do strengthen that leg, it will be months before I'm letting you fight on it! It needs to heal properly, breaking it again won't do you any favours."

Harley pouted her lip, crossed her arms but didn't go against Batman's orders.

"Here let me help you up," Batman said finally after a moment of silence had left them in a whirlpool of tensions. He held out his hand and gently pulled Harley Quinn up grasping her legs as he held her and then placed her in the wheel chair.

"Ya know Bats, your a sweet guy when your now beating up ma puddin'," Harley Quinn said, looking up at him.

His face remained frozen. Maybe it was shock, maybe it was something else. He couldn't even tell.

Then without warning, she grabbed the sides of the wheelchair and pulled herself up, then despite Batman's protests she placed her right foot on the floor. Readying her left to take the weight despite the pinching pain.

"STOP IT!" Batman yelled rushing forward to hold her up to her, now, two feet on the floor would take no weight, "I told you, no!" he said firmly, "the rule is you obey me Quinn!"

"Its my legs, Batsy! I know you are tryin' to help me, but I can do this!" she chirped like a naïve child unaware of her own limits.

"Try it again and I'll handcuff you to the wheel chair, understand?" he said strictly. Harley stuck out her bottom lip in protest but she didn't say anything.

"Do you understand?"

"FINE!" she yelped instantly and he put her back in the wheelchair, for her to sulk in.

Just as her eyes were on the floor they snapped up and a smile as big and as mixed as the ocean broke open on her face.

"I HAVE IT!" she screamed and Batman looked at her whether she had lost her mind, again.

"Have what exactly?" he demanded.

"Mistah J, oh how clever he is, how brilliant! Don't ya see Batsy!" she squealed with excitement, "Mistah J blew up the tuner! FOR THE GUITAR! THE TUNER!"

Batman waited impatiently, "yes Quinn he blew up the guitar tuner at the concert hall."

"So now they can't tune their guitars! Where can you tune a guitar?" she laughed.

"A guitar store?" Batman offered urgently.

"NO! The pier! TUNE A GUITAR! TUNA get it! He is going to blow up the Gotham's piers!"

Batman narrowed his eyes, it was crazy, no doubt about it, but was it the Joker crazy?"

"ROBIN!" he yelled.

A panting Robin appeared in seconds, "yep?" he muttered.

"Keep an eye on Quinn, make sure she stays in the wheel chair," he flashed Quinn a threatening look, "I'm going to the pier!"

* * *

Batman emerged from the darkness just as he could hear the loud cackle of the Joker, the large bomb being wheeled onto the pier by one of his rough looking henchmen and his own eyes shinning with an eerie pleasure.

When he saw Batman he laughed harder, "OH BATSY," he called as if he was courting him along.

"I KNEW YOU'D FIGURE IT OUT! See Batsy we are not so different after all!" he declared before laughing his head off. Though as he did the henchmen approached Batman steadily.

"Now Batty you get to see all the tuna and salmon being blown up! As well as your precious city! Though there is one thing you can do to stop me!" The Joker said licking his red, painted lips.

"I don't negotiate," Batman scolded.

"Aw Batty don't be so blue!" the Joker cried while suddenly the henchmen threw buckets of blue gluey liquid on Batman, glueing him to the spot.

"SEE BLUE! AHHAHAH" The Joker laughed, but then he finally composed himself and a wicked look passed his face, "Now Batty you have something of mine, I know you do, and I want it back. NOW!"

"What are you talking about Joker?" Batman demanded as he slyly was trying to reach his utility belt.

"You have my Harley! I want her back Batty."

"You tried to blow her up, don't tell me you have feelings for her," Batman argued as his finger finally reached his belt.

"Feelings? The kid is a tool, a helpful one at that. But I have grown mighty fond of the kid over time and you had no right to take her! Plus no one touches my property bats! Those marks on her, they are my markings, she is mine!"

"I saved her life!" Batman snapped, "something you almost took from her."

"The kid was in the way," the Joker said simply, "Now Batty I wish I could stay and chat all day long, I really do, but I have places to bomb, and people to kill so say goodbye Batty!"

The Joker held up a gun to the apparent paralysed Batman. Suddenly he burst out of his blue prison, with the help of his belt of course, and leapt to punch Joker in his stunned face.

While the Joker lay unconscious on the floor he ran to the bomb, thrusting open the latch to see the hundreds of wires lined up, only five of which would successfully disarm it. While he was caught between the last two he could hear shuffling as the henchmen who had hidden previously began coming out, some toward himself others carrying the Jokers body to take him to the hide out, wherever it may have been.

Batman slashed the last two wires and leapt upon the henchmen, taking down four at a time with his acrobatic/ boxing moves. Once he had tied up all 16 of the henchmen and called the police to take them away he looked for signs to where the Joker could be, but none revealed themselves. He was long gone.

* * *

"How is she?" Batman asked Robin as he came back, Robin peered at his bloody mask and ripped pads but said nothing. Knowing to zip a lip was an important part of working with Batman.

"She just sulks ya know, I think she misses him," he said sourly. He couldn't understand it, he had known Harley for years, why now did he want to shake some sense into her. What was so special about Quinn?

"Quinn?" Batman called, no answer. "Quinn?" "HARLEY!"

SHe jumped in the chair involuntarily and then her eyes snapped to the masked figure.

"Is he OK?" she whispered.

"He got away, but you saved the city Quinn, he had a bomb he was going to blow up Gotham. This city owes their lived to you!"

Harley didn't react beyond a looking back to the screen, their her puddin's picture was gleaming down at her. His smile and his beautiful eyes as she could only imagine that he was thinking of her.

But before she could think further she felt the chair leap forward and looked up to find Batman rolling her out.

"We need to talk," he snapped strictly.

She crossed her arms, "about what?"

He stopped her in a light hallway, away from the machines, the cars, the pressure of Robin's eyes. Just the two of them.

"I always stood up for you Quinn, I believed that you could do this," Batman said as his eyes bore down into hers, but she didn't take her eyes of the floor, she looked down trying to block out what he was saying. The war inside her was too deep, too strong that she couldn't take anymore conflict.

"I fought for you," he said, "and what you did tonight, that was special cause it showed me their still is that doctor inside of you, that girl I know you can be again! But, this attitude, depressing youself over a maniac, trying to get stronger for him, I gotta say I am a little disappointed in you, Harley. Somehow I expected more."

The words hurt, normally she would have been able to blow them off as easily as a summer breeze but she couldn't. She wasn't trying to stop being a criminal, heck she was probably always going to be one, she loved her costume and being the jester but she did not want to spend her life in Arkham so maybe distancing herself from the Joker is what she wanted. And she did. She just wanted to get control of this addiction and maybe earn a little self respect back. She wasn't looking to be perfect Harleen again she like Harley but she wasn't going to die everyday that she woke up in a cell anymore. She had to change.

"Disappointed," she said back, "who do you think you are my father? This is the first time you ever cared about me getting better so don't pretend you had some invested interest in me ya BAT!"

"Well if your father had done his job and taught you about men then I wouldn't need to!" Batman said firmly, "the Joker is bad news and I am giving you a life line, take it if you will Miss Quinn but if not Arkham has a cell waiting."

"I won't go back!' she snarled.

Batman smiled, "then talk to me, what is bothering you Quinn? Is it the Joker?"

She looked down again and used her interview tactics. Say nothing.

"I'm really disappointed in you Miss Quinn," Batman said finally and he walked back into the batcave, leaving her in the hallway.


	7. A chance to step

**One week later. **

Harley sat just behind the computer screen, gazing adoringly at the picture in her hands of the Joker. She stroked her fingertips over the picture of his hair and then down to his chin as if she was wiping the tears she imagined he would be crying for her away.

"Aw puddin', I'm comin for you honest, I am," she cooed while Robin tried not to gag just meters behind.

"Better not let Batman hear you say that," Robin murmured quietly.

Harley snapped up to face him and stuck her tongue out, "what is he gonna do ground me? spank me? Lock me up. I don't care, I just miss my Mistah J."

"Then why don't you help us find him, like the reason you were _released_ from prison," he said sharply.

"Hey, bird boy, I found out that he was at the pier, what did you do?"

Robin just rolled his eyes and continued to the gym to practice. Just as he moved backward the batmobile ran through the door and came to an immediate halt and Batman descended.

"Harvey and Scar face are back in the asylum, thanks for the tip on their hideout Harley," he said only sparing Robin a glance before fixing his eyes on Harley who still held the picture in her hands.

"Yeah thanks to me the next time I go to Arkham I'm as dead as a snitch, a clown without a punchline, a giraffe without a neck, DEAD YA HERE!" she snapped, now holding the picture to her chest as if it could protect her.

"Not if you don't double cross me, you won't be going back to Arkham, will you?" he said firmly, but instead of answering she just narrowed her eyes, glaringly in his direction.

"Any thoughts on the Joker's next plan?" he asked Harley after the silence had gone on for a few minutes.

"Geesh don't you ever stop working Bats!"

"Not while Gotham is in danger," he responded.

"Well it aint," she whispered.

"What?"

"It aint in danger, cause if it was the Joker would have sent you a clue already, like he always does, a TV advert or a sign. He loves it when you show up! He wouldn't risk that for the world."

"Are you sure Quinn?" he asked.

"Yep Bats, I am super positive."

Batman merely nodded and went to the computer flashing in the names of streets and in return the cameras came straight to the screen."

"YOU BEEN SPYING ON US!" Harley demanded but the authoritative glance Batman gave her, told her to be quiet.

"No, we like it when your kind run free," Robin said but Batman instantly silenced him.

"Hey," Harley interrupted, "that looks like a sign!"

All three of their eyes went to the screen where on the top of a building a firing flame could be seen, then the sight of Commissioner Gordon tied up behind it.

"Yep, that'll do it," Robin muttered.

Batman ran to the car with the short statement, "keep an eye on her."

"I am not a babysitter," he snapped, "I haven't been out all week because of _her _I'm going stir crazy in the cave!"

"Take me with you!" Harley suddenly snapped and both Batman's and Robin's eyes snapped up bemused, "I can walk, I have been practicing."

With that Batman's eyes filled with rage, "What!"

"Bats come on!" Harley whined, "I'm used to healing, it's not the first time I've broken a leg and it won't be the last. Stop treating me like some clown china doll! I aint gonna break, if anything I'm going to lose the last sign of sanity I have left!"

"If you take one step out of that chair-" Batman warned but Robin put a hand on his shoulder.

"I agree with Blondie, if she can at least run, let her come."

Batman growled but before he could silence both of them Harley got up and unlike last time it wasn't as shaky, or as terrifying to watch. One by one she confidently put her feet down, taking in the sound of her shoes hitting the floor, and stood steadily though slowly.

"Alright," Batman said smiling slightly, "now run."

Harley tried to hide the worry in her face, just she was hiding the strain in her face from keeping upwards while her knee felt like the bones were twisting.

"To me."

Harley gulped down some air, thought of Mistah J and took one leap with her leg forward... before cringing on the floor in pain.

Batman turned to Robin, "you would let her out now?"

Robin bit his lower lip and glowered at Blondie, "I guess not," he sulked, realising he would spend another night as Blondie's own personal guard.

Batman went forward and scooped Harley into his arms despite the fact that she was kicking and squirming.

"I can do it, let me go!"

"Not on your life," he barked and put her back in the chair while she crossed her arms and pouted her lip.

Then in a flash batman raced to the batmobile and Robin was left staring at Harley, wondering what on earth he could do to speed up the process.

"Alfred," Harley screamed, and he appeared quickly in the elevator, with a kind smile, "will you please take me to my room, I don't think I can handle another night with bird brain over here."

"Hey, I second that," Robin said glowering, he didn't care if Harley was his age and a knockout blonde, she was completely insane and ruining his social as well as his action life.

Harley was only in her room for an hour before Batman came back, looking none the more ruffled. He knocked on her door and opened it to find her looking up, again with the picture like a puppy snuggling on top of her.

"He got away," she muttered happily and Batman nodded.

"I had to save Commissioner Gordon, first," he explained while Harley just smirked.

"The flaw of a hero," she muttered.

"Can you look at the clues?"

She nodded and he approached her bed, sitting on the armchair next to it.

"A burning flame," she muttered to herself, "the Commissioner?"

Then her face lit up with a mysterious and almost wild smile, "burning sounds like adjourning."

Batman couldn't help but wonder how an earth their minds could work in such a mysterious and yes insane way. Then again, he wouldn't be trying to blow up the town if he was not insane.

"Adjourning? He's going to set the bomb in the courthouse!" Batman yelped and Harley clapped her hands together.

"YOU GOT IT!"

"When?" he demanded and this time Harley shrugged and looked down at the picture.

"You forget bats," she murmured, "my puddin is always full of surprises."

"Surprise isn't how I would state it," Batman said firmly.

"Seeing as I am not allowed to, well you know, go out and kick butt, when can I at least go outside. It's like a prison in this cave, at least in Arkham I could talk to Red and Kitty and the other guys ya know."

"If you want to go back to Arkham-"

"No!" Harley said quickly, "I just want to you know get some fresh air."

Batman, thought about it for a moment, watching Harley as she tucked the blonde strands of hair behind her ear, how her long legs lay against the bed and then his eyes drew to the cast on her leg. Sympathy swarmed him as he began to see how lonely she must be, holding that picture of the Joker while he and Robin seemed to be on a completely different side. He wanted to catch the joker, yes, but he wanted it to be Harley so he could help her and so far, other than the lecture, which did littler other than keep her sulking for a week, he had not done that job.

"Alright, I will find a place you can go in the morning, to get some air and practice walking on that leg," he added.

"Oh Bats you mean it?" Harley asked and when he nodded her arms flew around him in a hug that surprised them both.

"Oops," she muttered, taking her arms off his stone hard shoulders. But, she could not have seen an almost smile form on his face.

"Goodnight, Miss Quinn," he muttered closing the door behind him, and without thinking locking it.


	8. First kiss

**The next day**

Robin was rolling Harleyin her wheelchair, her blindfold kept her in complete darkness while Batman held the gate open in his momentous garden. They had built the gate during the night, it took five of his gardeners and a contractor to make the 9 foot gate square gate that covered a good chunk of the billionaires garden.

"Are we there yet, for all I know you could be taking me back to Arkham!" Harley snapped crossing her arms tightly in the chair.

"You can take it off now Quinn," Batman said when she was safely hidden inside the gates.

"Not that i don't love being a babysitter to Gotham's most _dangerous_ kid," Robin said sarcastically, "can I please go now!"

Batman nodded and Robin disappeared behind the gates, his cape flying up as he did so.

"Well he is just anxious to go off saving the world, aint he," Harley said but Batman didn't answer, actually he was thinking about how he was helping a criminal learn to walk again. How, if she could never walk again the Joker would probably forget about her, forget about Harley Quinn and maybe, just maybe, her life would be saved.

"Well, you ready Quinn?" he asked feeling more like Bruce instead of Batman while holding out his hands for her to grip. She slowly, warily, wrapped her fingers around his palm and used it to pull her up to her feet.

"Take a step, I have you," he said and with her bad leg she stepped forward while Batman held up as much of her weight as he could without lifting her up.

She took a few more until he let her take a little weight of her own, even though he had to watch her cringe at every second step.

Harley tried not to look at Bman's face while she was walking forward, instead she focused on the sound of the wind hitting the wooden gate and the feeling of the sun on her pale skin.

However, neither of them noticed the stick lying in their path and Harley tripped as soon as her bad leg touched it, throwing her forward into batman's chest.

"DAM!" she screamed covering her face with her hands.

Batman just gently placed her back on the ground, then he put one of his hands to her shoulder, trying to soothe her.

"It's OK Quinn, you don't have to put this much pressure on yourself to get better, in a few weeks-"

"NO! It can't be in a few weeks!" she yelled smacking his hands away from her so that she could sink to the ground and sit cross legged, putting her head in her hands.

"Why does it have to be now Harley, if you are trying to escape on that leg Robin and I can catch you-"

"I'm not trying to escape Bman," she said, sounding quite defeated, "Just think, what if you couldn't walk a meter forward. How defenceless would you feel?"

Suddenly, Batman understood, or maybe it was Bruce who understood, Bruce who wanted to sit next to Harley and tell her that the Joker would never hurt her again and if he wasn't in his costume he probably would have. But for now he remained standing and held a hand out to pull her up.

Still, sniffling she took his offer and went to her feet.

"Lets try this again," he said and without answering she began to step forward.

"Look, your doing it," Batman said after a few succesful steps.

Suddenly, Harley stopped walking forward, "Why are you doing this?"

"Doing what?"

Harley bit her lip, and put her eyes to the floor, so that she wouldn't have to watch his face while she asked him. "I have never been anything but trouble for you, why are you trying to help me?"

Batman tilted her chin up with a finger, so that she would look him in his eyes instead of down at the floor, like she was scared to face up to him.

"Because you deserve a second chance, Harley, and being a superhero doesn't just mean saving the public, it means saving everybody, even from themselves."

"I don't need saving," she said, trying to be firm, but her voice broke.

She couldn't help it, the physical pain from her leg, the emotional pain from being away from the Joker and the mixed feelings from seeing a side to Batman she never knew existed all came at her like a clean gun shot.

"Look at you Harley, you are smart, obviously beautiful, and you have a great personality, you could have an amazing future, but with the Joker... I don't know how long you'll survive before this broken leg turns into a broken neck, or worse."

This time she reached out to Batman and in a sudden moment she planted a kiss on his cheek, "It won't happen," she said softly and then without speaking she began to try and step forward.

Batman snapped back into reality, fighting the urge, to reach up to his cheek and feel the warmth, just to prove that she had done it, or had he been dreaming?

Without a word he held out his arms as before and she hung on while walking forward slowly, trying to focus all the while on strengthening her leg, rather than the sound of Batman's breath and the glint of his brown eyes.


	9. The plan of action

**This is just a short chapter really just to put into motion the transcention of Harley Quinn and Bruce's plan. Thanks for reading and please review! **

* * *

"BMAN! BMAN!" the shouts screamed throughout the house and Batman sprinted to her room. The thought that she could be in danger swarmed his brain and within seconds the door was slammed open.

Harley was standing near the doorway her palm pressed on the wall as she stood almost steadily.

"Wow," Batman breathed watching her standing like a deer for the first time.

"I did it," she whispered, "I can walk again!"

"How far?" he asked and she looked back to the bed, trying to measure the distance in her head.

"Well to here," she said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Do you need help back?"

She smiled, "Nah, I wanna do it," and then in one momentous movement she pushed herself off the wall and walked to the bed. He marveled at how she could still walk like she was walking on clouds when she was injured.

She sat back on the bed and curled her legs under her arms and rested her chin onto her knees.  
"Will you take me out now? I want to fight."

Batman nodded slightly, but it was more of a slight nodd, "when you pass the fitness test I put Robin on, daily, you can go."

"Ya mean it?" she yelped and with his nodd a smile bigger that light broke out on her face.

"Now, I have to go, get some rest, kid," he said leaving quickly. But when the door was a barrier between them he froze. He wasn't mean to feel anything for these people, the people he locked up. He was meant to feel sympathy for them sure and want better for them. But, the emotion he was feeling was like his cells were gravitating towards Harley, like through the weeks he had become attached to the girl he had seen corrupted and who he truly believed would be better to society in Arkham than on the streets. So, why did he want to help her so fiercely?

Maybe he was crazy, but if he was their was only one person he felt he could truly talk to about it.

"Alfred," he muttered, sliding into the kitchen having taken off the Batman outfit and become Bruce again.

"Why yes, Master Bruce."

"Quinn's leg is healing up nicely, she has begun to walk around. I'm thinking of putting her up for the fitness test once she can run, see if she can get back out there."

"But, Master Bruce it has only been three weeks, she shouldn't be able to walk on that leg yet and certainly not run."

"She's a strong girl," he muttered.

"Yes, she is."

"How is Miss Quinn?" Alfred asked.

"I don't know," Bruce admitted, "I think she misses the Joker and she's dying to to get out on the streets to fight but on the other hand, she can't like being confined the way she is. After all, she is Harley Quinn, one of the most dangerous criminals in Gotham."

"But is she the criminal or is it the Joker?" Alfred asked and though Bruce wanted to tell himself she had been led astray he knew the answer.

"I've seen her do things, things just to please him that could put any sane person in jail for life. I think Harley is a criminal, but at the same time I don't think she is a bad person."

"I think it is important Master Bruce to remember that the world is not just good or bad, Haley could be a good person but could not know the difference between right or wrong."

"Oh I think she knows the difference," Bruce laughed, "but I think your right Alfred. Do you think I could help her, teach her while she's confined here. Then maybe I won't have to drag her back to Arkham in a month with fresh bruised from the Joker."

Alfred looked up from polishing the table and as soon as his eyes reached Bruce, he knew.

"Master Bruce, you can't possible become invested in a girl like her. As much as I do admire Miss Quinn's ... personality, she is trouble."

Bruce nodding and Alfred relaxed assuming he was agreeing but inside he was agreeing that yes, she was trouble and yet his mind was set. He was going to try and teach the famous Harley Quinn to be a poster citizen.

Though telling Robin may have been a mistake.

"NO!" he demanded before turning his back on Bruce and walking towards his room.

"Dick, get back here!" he ordered and Dick stopped walking. The authoritativeness of his Bruce forcing him to stop but he would not turn back.

Bruce walked forward and went in front of Dick, trying to remind himself that behind the 22 year old was a superhero who needed to be treated like a man, not a young adult.

"We can help her and I need you help me train her to get her on her feet."

"No!" he snapped.

"Dick," Bruce said softly, "I can't do it without you, but that girl needs your help."

"She may seem like a girl to you but she's a woman, a crazy insane, violent woman! You are just blinded by her looks Bruce can't you see that!"

Bruce laughed, "Coming from you, I saw how you looked at her when I brought her here. You looked at her like she was just any one of those girls at your college, you didn't care if she was insane or not! Are you telling me if she didn't offer herself to you, you wouldn't take it?" Bruce asked and when Dick's eyes went to the floor and closed they both realized the truth, she had hypnotized both of them and what the amazing thing was she hadn't even tried.

"I don't think this is a good idea, Bruce," Dick finally said and Bruce barely acknowledged his cracking voice or the sincerity in his eyes.

"I am asking for your help, Dick. Will you help me?"

Dick nodded, "Only for you."

"She is not going to be easy," Bruce acknowledged and Dick smiled.

"It looks like we are the only people who could ever turn Harley Quinn back to normal."

"Maybe we are just the only people ever to try."

Dick took a step forward, to Bruce, so he could look him straight in the eyes to analyze his response, "What is she goes back to being a criminal?"

Bruce didn't even hesitate, he just let Batman shine through, "Then I will drag her butt back to Arkham, I promise." Dick nodded, it was good enough for him and for that Blondie up stairs, well he was going to put her through her paces in training. He doubted that even the gymnast Harley Quinn would be able to do what he was demanded to do. If he was going to let Harley be Bruce's new project then was going to make sure he didn't let her near his hear without ensuring she wouldn't break it first.

And he knew just how to do it.


	10. Snap

It took another weak before Harley was running around the gated garden patch. Batman stood in the middle taking in the air that Harley had taught him to appreciate and watched her blonde hair flow behind her as she tried to sprint faster and faster each time.

Finally, she stopped, her face was red and she was facing the sun, trying to gasp air back into her tired body.

Batman couldn't help but smile at the small things she did that reminded him that she was human and then when she would look at him, blue eyes shining with clear skin that was starting to become bronzed by the daily exposure to sun, he remembered how young she was.

How, he could pretend she was an adult and throw her in Arkham but this 20 something year old was nothing but a kid, just living in this messed up world.

Stop, he told himself. He couldn't make excuses like that for her, whatever she was it was a criminal.

"Finished, Quinn?" he asked and she looked at him, as if she was startled he had been watching her the whole time.

"Sure B-man, It sure it pretty here aint it, not like Brooklyn ya know. It was always grey, though-" she narrowed her eyes trying to remember, "we did live next to this big ole factory, could have been pollution or somefin," she said while she skipped to the wall to lean on,

"Still the sky sure is pure here, Mistah J just loves it when it's sunny, though he doesn't let me go outside a lot. He thinks it'll give away are hide out- I think the bombs he sets off at the 4th of July instead of fireworks gives off our hideout more."

In the past month he had gotten used to her accent and the speed of how she talked, even the way she talked like she was always exited, like she was seeing everything for the first time.

"Where would you go when you did get out?" he asked and Harley looked up, analyzing his expression.

Was he asking so the next time she got free he would wait for her then and take her back to Arkham? If she told him she ever be able to go again?

Finally, she just shrugged, "No where really," she said as if she was inside a dream instead of reality, "just around."

Batman nodded, it was times like these he was reminded how far apart their lives actually are.

"You better rest up Quinn," he said firmly, trying to gain back the authority he may have lost from being so lenient with her, "Robin will take you through the training soon, I designed it myself so don't expect it to be easy."

She threw her head back in laugher, "I can handle it, Bman, Mistah J trained me himself," she said proudly putting her hands on her hips.

"I thought it was the 17 years of gymnastics, Quinn," Batman asked rhetorically.  
Harley's eyes snapped up to his, "Ya been spying on me Bman?"

"I make it my business to know everyone I fight against, Quinn," he said truthfully.

"Geeze! Bman, the names Harley! I think we both know you know me better than that.

In fact it sounds like you know everything about me."

This time Batman smiled, "Alright, Harley, turn around."

She did so obediently, a trait she probably learned from the Joker, he thought. Then he put the blindfold over her eyes and with her hand, began to lead her back.

"You taking me back to Arkham?" she joked and a smile broke out on her face. Suddenly Batman realized she was beginning to trust him.

"Finally!" Robin snapped when Batman was leading Harley into the bat-cave. He undid her blindfold so that she was facing Robin who stood with his arms crossed.

"Hey, give her a rest would you she just finished running," Batman said and Robin tried not to think if Batman had ever stood up for him when he was too tired for a training.

Robin took Batman aside, leaving Harley to the side, "You asked me to do this, I classes later, I can do this now, or you'll have to wait another day. Stop standing up for her, she doesn't deserve it."

Batman nodded, "alright," he turned back to Harley, "do what he says, Harley," he said, walking back to the elevator.

Robin opened the door to the training room, "hurry up Blondie, I aint got all day."  
She followed him into the room, taking in the square fighting ring in the middle and the many apparatuses sprinkled around.

"Get in the ring Blondie," Robin ordered.

Harley crossed her arms, "the name is Harley birdbrain!" she snapped.

"Get in the ring or I'll tell Batman that your not ready to fight, Harley."

She paused, glaring at him but then she nodded and suddenly with speed she ran up to the ring and flipped inside of it.

Robin rolled his eyes. Batman was getting way to close to Harley, he had seen Selina hurt him and it wasn't going to happen again. Especially to someone who was old enough to be his girlfriend.

"Ok you are going to kick with your right leg, the injured one and try to hit me on my arms," he said and Harley smiled slightly. This was her speciality, she might not be able to defend herself against Robin when he's keeping her in a wheelchair or calling her Blondie but she could in a fight.

"Go," he snapped. Suddenly, she began to kick forward, thanks to gymnastics she could kick her leg to 180 degrees.

But Robin was fast he sprinted from one side to the other, until Harley was panting. She collapsed to the ground clutching her side.

He may not have like the idea of Harley and Batman but he did not like the idea of a chick in pain either so he walked over and put out his hand to help him up, "It's alright if your not ready, these things take time-"

"BAM!" she screamed and her leg shot over the arm Robin had extended.

"AW!' Robin yelled backing off of her, "OK, do it again."

That was it Harley was shooting her legs at Robin who was successfully avoiding, most of them.

Then, suddenly she jumped upwards and did a 360 flip landing square on Robin who became pinned to the ground. A smile broke out on her face, "I did it! Does this mean I passed?"

"You wish blondie- Harley," Robin said picking himself up and trying to disguise his red, out of breath face.

"Well whats next?"

"Can you do a pull up Harley?"

She laughed, "in my sleep birdie boy."

He ducked out of the ring and pointed to the bar that was held just above the arched doorway. With focused eyes he jumped to the bar with ease pulled himself up and down up and down, letting his muscles tense.

"Can you do that Harley?" he asked letting go of the bar and landing swiftly on his feet.  
"

Ya know, birdie, you remind me of a gymnast, the way you can do a front flip and your balance," Harley said watching his shoes that during the pull ups were in unmistakable points.

"I was something like that," Robin said without thinking. Then when he realized he pursed his lips together, "It's your turn, go."

Harley did another front flip out of the ring and then, standing at least two meters away she jumped to the bar and her skinny arms pulled her self up and down up and down, controlled and with ease. Robin narrowed his eyes watching her. Never, had he seen another girl with her figure to be so strong.

"Done," she said, though she was out of breath when she did come down.

"Last one, Harley, I need to see you run, and I don't mean in the garden round and round like some pony, if you can't keep up you can't come out, you got it!'

"I can run," she said firmly.

He led her into the adjoining room, there in the middle was a well used treadmill.

"I need you to prove you can sprint," he said.

Harley's eyes washed over the treadmill warily and then she focused on the feeling of her leg. It wasn't strong like it used to be, even running in the garden left her with a slight reminder of pain, something that was easy to ignore. But sprint? she didn't know if she could.

"Easy," she snapped and jumped up onto it.

Robin picked up the timer.

"You have a minute, you need to run 0.4 miles," Robin said.

Harley focused her eyes on the clock on the treadmill screen and steadied her legs.

"Go."

Harley sprang her legs forward as fast as they would take her, slamming them off the moving floor so hard that it rocked the machine and Robin raised his eyebrows impressed.

"Stop," he ordered and Harley stopped, letting the moving floor fling her backwards so she could pat while lying on her back.

"Sorry Blondie, 0.2 miles, you only got half way."

"There is no way a girl can do that!" she chocked and she began to slowly stand.

Robin looked into her blue eyes, fighting the urge to let her hold onto him while she was barely standing straight, "you failed."

"NO!" she yelled, then wrapping her arms around herself she shook herself, "you don't want to stay here as much as I do- Robin, please."

He shook his head, "No, Batman is right, it's safety first, if you slow us down, or if you get hurt again..."

"I won't!"

Suddenly through the doors Batman appeared, hoping that the test would be over by now.

"How did she do?" Batman asked but as soon as he saw Harley's stone cold face he knew.

"0.2" Robin muttered and Batman looked down, that was an average speed at most, definitely below Harley Quinn's potential. She was too injured to go out, with that speed anyone could grab her and pull her back.

Then as if it had been predicted Alfred came into the room, "Batman, Robin the bat sign is up."

"Keep an eye on Harley, Alfred," Batman said rushing back to the bat cave.

"Wait!" Harley called rushing behind him, "Common Bats I passed everything else I can do this, I'm going insane here, don't keep me here!"

He analyzed her pleading face and then he hardened his own face.

"You would never let me out on a 0.2," Robin said from behind her and Batman nodded.

"He's right Quinn, I am sorry, we'll try again soon."

"NO!" she screamed and in that instant Batman saw that her face had gone from desperate to angry, a trait he guessed she had learned from her tempered boyfriend.

"Harley," he soothed, "you don't have to put so much pressure on yourself-" he couldn't finish, she had lunged forward but Robin had been quick and had grabbed her back, securing her shoulders which she struggled and yelled.

"I need to go! LET ME GO!" she screamed but Robin was holding her tightly.

Tears stung her eyes as she realized just how defenseless she was and then finally she stopped struggling, submitting completely to Robin's grip.

"Harley," Batman said firmly, as if he was speaking to an out of control child but she didn't answer, she just did everything to stop herself from breaking down.

"Robin, take her to her room," Batman said turning back to the car, closing his eyes and thinking of the girl he had seen today in the garden.

"NO!" she screamed and began to struggle again, fiercely she kicked in his grip and tried to slip out of his arms, "you won't get the blind fold on me!"

Batman realized she was telling the truth- and it was way to risky to try and then have her finding out the truth. Instead he walked over to the steel cupboard that had been originally used to keep the weapons for his belt, now it was empty.

He opened the door revealing the small almost cell like inside with the grey steel walls and Robin understood- so did Harley Quinn.

"NO! STOP!" she screamed shaking all over but Robin managed to push her into the room and close the door behind her. Batman closed his eyes and tried to ignore the sounds of her banging, and stop the pictures of her crying appear in his head.

"We have to go," he said sharply and Robin looked up, eyes wide with surprise to Batman.

He knew he was able to separate himself emotionally from almost everything but from the girl he had been trying to rejuvenate, who he appeared to really care for. It surprised him to his core.

"Alfred you'll need to make sure she's OK, don't let her out until I come back- she won't get through the lock. Robin needs to come, it looks like I am going to need his help."


End file.
